You don’t have to work in education to be a life-long learner. If you intend to eat clean that day, stay focused on that goal. Setting an intention and creating a plan of action each morning ensures that you stay focused on your most important task and avoid getting easily distracted by the minutia and other people during the day. Then he’d pick a virtue to focus on and begin to “contrive day’s business, and take the resolution of the day,” i.e., to plan his day. Set your intention and plan for the dayĮach morning, before going to work, Franklin would set his intention for the day with an important question: What good shall I do this day? This daily habit of solitude gave Franklin the needed clarity and focus on planning the day and following through on his plans.Ĥ. Shortly after waking up, Franklin would take a shower and then “address Powerful Goodness.” In other words, he’d spend some time in prayer or meditation. However, it’s important to note that what matters most isn’t the time you go to bed or wake up and it’s the consistency of your sleep schedule.īy going to bed and waking up at the same time each day, you’ll train your brain to fall asleep faster and improve the quality of your sleep. One of Franklin’s most popular mantras was “early to bed and early to rise a man healthy, wealthy, and wise,” and according to this schedule, he lived up to it.Įach day, Franklin woke up early at 5 am and went to bed early at 10 pm, for a total of 7 hours of sleep each night.

Go to bed and wake up at the same time each day It’s easy to underestimate the power of simplicity, even though it’s the hidden driving force behind peak productivity.Ģ. It’s simple, ruthlessly focused on the essential, and highly effective. There’s no overwhelming to-do list of things to get done. There are only six-time blocks scheduled for each day, and one of these blocks includes sleep-an obvious necessity. The first thing to note about Franklin’s daily schedule is its simplicity. Here are the ten most essential productivity lessons from Franklin’s daily schedule: The secret to all of this is found in your daily routines and habits. Moreover, you’ll also find that it removes much of the stress between your work life and personal life. You will do your best work when you’ve found a way to live within constraints. And worse, it is also a way to stagnate the creative juices. But sitting around being idle while waiting for inspiration is an excellent way to get nothing done. Sure, inspiration often will come when we least expect it, and so by all means, let us allow exceptions to our schedules. This big myth is that creativity cannot be harnessed, and that’s silliness. There’s no good reason a creative person should live without routine, discipline, or accountability.

I’ve said this before, and I’ll repeat it: But in truth, a routine like Ben Franklin’s is incredibly empowering - it’s liberating. Many people kick against the idea of structure or routine or a schedule. Having a daily routine helps ensure that the minutes don’t get away from you, and it enables you to avoid squandering your time. I look at my routine to make sure it’s serving me well from time to time. So simple, yet still structured and helpful. 6 to 10 pm: “Put things in their places, supper, music, or diversion, or conversation examination of the day.”.12 to 2 pm: “Read or overlook my accounts, and dine.”.5 to 8 am: “Rise, wash and address Powerful Goodness contrive day’s business and take the resolution of the day prosecute the present study and breakfast.”.He had only six blocks of time scheduled each day: Though his schedule had structure and routine, it was also very forgiving to all the nuances and variables that each day’s tasks and priorities bring.

Ben franklin daily schedule pdf